HC seeks Punjab's report on free medicines to rural dispensaries

The Punjab and Haryana high court has directed the Punjab health department and the department of panchayats and rural development to file a detailed affidavit within two weeks on the supply of free medicines to rural dispensaries.

The Punjab and Haryana high court has directed the Punjab health department and the department of panchayats and rural development to file a detailed affidavit within two weeks on the supply of free medicines to rural dispensaries.

While posting the matter for further hearing for April 9, the high court observed that it was concerned about the supply of medicines to patients in dispensaries of the state.

Earlier, the HC was informed by the government through an affidavit that against the approved budget of Rs 10.67 crore for the supply of medicines to rural dispensaries and subsidiary health centres, medicines worth only Rs 1.92 crore were supplied during 2014-15.

The petitioner's lawyer, HC Arora, however, submitted that there was no supply of medicines between December 2014 and February 2015 in any such dispensary in Amritsar district and many other districts.

The petitioner had alleged that due to differences between the health and family welfare department and the panchayats and rural development department, the supply of medicines to these dispensaries had been snapped about two years ago. As per the policy, free medicines worth Rs 7,500 per month were to be supplied by the health department to the other department through panchayat samitis.